AUGUSTA – When the Woodland girls basketball team won the 2006 Class D state championship, coach Arnold Clark relied on just his five starters for a 52-43 win over Valley of Bingham.

One of the girls who watched from the bench was then-sophomore Cindy Bergin.

Bergin didn’t merely watch Monday night when the Dragons defeated Buckfield 59-45 for another Class D state title. She played, and put up some big minutes in place of star center Courtney Cochran, who got into foul trouble in the second half.

“This is important to me,” Bergin said. “It’s my senior year, so it’s a nice way to end it. It’s a nice way for all of us girls to end this season.”

Clark also got key minutes from freshman forward Molly White, who had a rebound and two steals as she helped out defensively in Woodland’s zone press. She came in for Julia Nicholas when the junior forward picked up two fouls in the first quarter.

Clark didn’t score, but did draw the second foul on Buckfield guard Ashley Hamann, who was the Bucks’ leading scorer this year at 12 points per game before the state final.

Bergin finished with five points and a rebound, all of which came in the second half, as she relieved Cochran. The 6-foot senior missed the final three minutes of the third quarter when she picked up her fourth foul.

“She did a real good job when she came in and filled the gap for Courtney,” Clark said.

Bergin has been Cochran’s regular backup this year. The Dragons assumed they’d need Bergin Monday because the Bucks would likely try to get Cochran in foul trouble.

“I was a little nervous, but that’s what we practiced for,” said Bergin, who is also Woodland’s girls soccer goalie. “Mr. Clark does a good job of practicing people in the position he wants them to be in. It’s just a part of being on the team. When someone’s in trouble, you step up, take their place.”

Eastern Maine tournament MVP Cochran, all-tourney guard Rachel Torrey, and Bergin will all graduate this year. It’ll be a huge loss for Woodland, but the Dragons have a lot of good players around which they can build. Clark is also encouraged by some of the girls at the lower levels.

Sophomore guards Ashley Laking and Ariel Knights will be back next winter, as will Nicholas and White.

“It’s going to be a different style of ball team next year, but we’ve got a lot of kids back and we’ve got a lot of kids coming in, too,” Clark said. “We’ll have good quickness and we’ll be in good shape. We’re not going to be chopped liver.”

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

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